Replaceable charged condenser and tank by-pass



Oct. 12, 1954 R. v. ANDERSON REPLACEABL'E CHARGED CONDENSER AND TANK BY-PASS Filed Ja.n. 24, 1952 .INVENTOR. emf kfl/m e/w/i Patented Oct. 12, 1954 REPLACEABLE CHARGED CONDENSER AND TANK BY-PASS Robert v. Anderson, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application January 24, 1952, Serial No. 268,042

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in equipment used in refrigerating or air conditioning systems, and particularly to the condenser unit thereof or the condenser and liquid receiving tank for refrigerant, the primary object being to provide a replaceable unit that may be pre-charged at the factory or at a point of service ready for installation and/or replacement.

' Those skilled in this field well understand the problems accompanying servicing of refrigerating or air conditioning units and the necessity of evacuating the systems of air and charging the same with the refrigerant each time a new or repaired system is to be placed in operation. The same steps must be followed whenever the system is evacuated for repair or loses its reried out only by skilled workmen.

It is accordingly the most important object of this invention to provide a condenser, or combination condenser and receiver tank unit capable of receiving and holding a charge of refrigerant prior to installation of the unit in a refrigerating or air conditioning system and which may be coupled therein, using the compressor of the system as a means for evacuating air, thereby simplifying the entire process and rendering it possible for anyone of ordinary mechanical ability to make the replacement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unit as above mentioned that includes a condenser coil with its accompanying heat dissipating fins that may be coupled with a receiver tank and having valves, together with a bypass line so arranged that when the unit is connected in a refrigerating system, proper manipulation of the valves after evacuation of air will charge the entire system with the refrigerant in the selfcontained unit.

Other objects include the way in which the relatively fragile fin construction is reinforced, adapting the unit for use in air conditioning equipment for automobiles; the manner of providing bracket means adapting the unit for fastening to an automobile; the way in which screening is provided to obviate clogging; and many other more minor objects including details of construction, all of which will be made clear as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a replaceable charged condenser and tank by-pass made according to the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof partially in section.

Broadly, the combination unit shown in the drawing includes a condenser Ill, a receiver tank [2, a by-pass line 14, and blocking means for line 13, together with means to seal off condenser In or condenser Ill and tank 12, a pair of Valves l6 and [8 being shown. An elongated tube 20 has the receiver tank 12 interposed therein and the valves I6 and I8 at the ends thereof. A portion of the tube 20 is coiled as at 22, presenting the tubular condenser coil of the unit, tube 26 being separated Within the receiver tank l2 and having screens 24 and 26 on the ends thereof. Coil 22 may be cooled by air, water, or otherwise, cooling fins 28 being shown, disposed in spaced, parallelism between a pair of end plates 30 and 32. A plurality of elongated rods 34 join the end plates 30 and 32 adjacent the lowermost longitudinal edges thereof, and a rod 36 is similarly disposed at the normally forwardmost edges of the plates 30 and 32. Rods 34 and 36 are threaded through the fins 28 and are provided with spacers 38 to hold the fins 28 in spaced parallelism and preferably made from a micaceous or similar substance to prevent the rods 34 and 36 from reducing the efficiency of the condenser [0.

It is noted that the valves Hi and I8 are each of the three-way, two-position type and are joined by the by-pass line 14. Valve i6 is adapted for connection with a line ll! and valve I8 is adapted for coupling with a line 42. Lines 40 and 42 lead to compression and evaporation means respectively (not shown). Plates 30 and 32 are extended longer than the fine fins 2B of the condenser H3 and are welded to the outside of tank I2. Brackets M and 46 on the condenser H'; and on the receiver tank 12 respectively, adapt the unit for mounting as desired, such as beneath the frame of an automobile when the refrigerating system with which the unit hereof is used, is adapted for air conditioning purposes. Line I l may be joined rigidly to the unit or rendered removable from valves Hi and I 8 as desired.

The unit, including the entire tube 29, its coil 22 and the tank I2, is charged with a suitable refrigerant ready for use, valves l6 and I8 being in the positions shown by solid lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, to hold the refrigerant therein. Tank 12 may be eliminated if desired, coil 22 being rendered capable of storing sufficient refrigerant for the entire system. When the unit lines 40 and 42.

when the system is in use.

is to be inserted in a refrigerating system, valve IB is connected with evaporator line 42 and valve I6 is likewise coupled with the compressor line 40 of the refrigerating or air conditioning system. These systems are normally provided with a service valve on the compressor (not shown) in line 40. An extra piece of conduit is coupled with suchservice valve and the compressor is placed in operation to evacuate the air from by-pass 14, from the evaporator line 42, from the evaporator coil itself, and the remaining tubing of the system. It is desirable to place the conduit from the service'valve into a container having liquid therein, such as refrigerant oil, to indicate to the installer thatair is .being evacuated from the system. Such air will bubble within the liquid, and when bubbling ceases, the service valve in the discharge side of the compressor is opened to itsnormal position and the operation of the compressor is discontinued.

The valves 16 and is are thereupon turned slowly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to close off the by-pass line I4 and to allow the escape of refrigerant from the coil 22 and tank 12 into the The refrigerating system is thereupon ready for use, and by virtue of the fact that the system is free of air, no further testing is necessary since the proper amount of refrigerant is initially contained in the unit as shipped from the factory or as serviced by a dealer.

As above indicated, the principles of this invention may well be adapted for use in any type of refrigerating or air conditioning system utilizing a compressor, evaporator, condenser and receiver, or an absorption-type refrigerating or air conditioning unit. It has however, been particu larly adapted for mounting on an automobile. With the unit suspended from the frame of the automobile by means of brackets 44 and t6, the rods 34 and 3B and their spacers 38 will protect the relatively thin, plate-like fins 28 from damage by flying pebbles, rocks and other hazardous road obstructions. The replaceable feature is particularly advantageous when used in this type of air conditioning, since a motorist may obtain replacement of a damaged unit quickly and easily by any ordinary mechanic in a short length of time. Thedamaged unit may thereupon be repaired and charged ready for subsequent replacement.

Valves l6 and I8 operate both as sealing means to hold the refrigerant in the unit prior to installation and as means to close by-pass line 14 Thus, line I4 may be removed if desired for re-use by a dealer in installing other units. However, its presence serves as a guard against loss of refrigerant in the event of leakage past valves [6 and I8 when the same are in the position shown by dotted lines.

Thus, it is obvious that a single valve in line 14 may be used to block flow of refrigerant from line 40 to line 42 via line M, and breakable sealing means be substituted for valves [6 and [8. Such sealing means may take the form of elements capable of being punctured to permit escape of the refrigerant into the remaining elements of the system as above described.

While certain details of construction have necessarily been set forth for a clear and concise understanding of the broad objects hereof, such changes and modifications as fairly come within the spirit of this invention as determined by the scope of the appended claims, are contemplated hereby.

Having thus described-the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A replaceable condenser comprising an evaporator line; a tubular coilinitially charged with refrigerant and adapted for coupling at one end thereof with said line and at the opposite end thereof with a compressor, said coil having an initially closed valve adjacent each end thereof respectively; and a bypass line interconnecting the valves, said valves each being movable from its initially closed position closing the coil to a position for closing the by-pass line and placing the coil in communication with the compressor and the evaporator line.

2. A replaceable combination condenserand receiver comprising a condenser coil provided with cooling fins; a receiver tank connected with said coil at one end thereof; a valve at the'opposite end of the coil; a compressor line coupled with said valve; an evaporator line coupled with said tank; a valve in said evaporator line; and a bypass line interconnecting the valves and communicating with the evaporator line and the compressor line when said valves are moved'to a position closing the coil and tankto'maintain a refrigerant charge therein, said valves being movable to a position closing the by-pass line, and therefore, placing the coil and thetank into communication with the evaporator line and the compressor line.

3. A replaceable combination condenser and receiver unit for refrigerating systems comprising a receiver tank provided with a valve adapted for connection with an evaporator; a tubular coil coupled at one end thereof with said tank and having a valve at the opposite end-thereof adapted for connection with a compressor; and a by-pass line interconnecting the valves, said valves each being movable from an initial position closing the coil and tank to a posit-ion opening the coil and tank and closing the by-pass line.

4. In a refrigerator; a condenser coil provided with cooling fins; a receiver tank connected with said coil at one end thereof; a valve at the opposite end of the coil; a compressor line coupled with said valve; an evporator line coupled with said tank; a valve in said evaporator line; and a by-pass line interconnecting the valves and communicating with the evaporator line and" the compressor line when said valves are 'moved'to a position closing the coil and tank to maintain a refrigerant charge therein, said valves being movable to a position closing the by-passiine, and therefore, placing the coil and the tank into communication with the evaporator line and the compressor line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

971,984 Gaide Oct. 4, 1910 1,082,512 Gainer Dec. 30, 1913 1,790,237 King Jan. 27, 1931 1,874,803 Reed Aug. 30, 1932 2,564,310 Nussbaum Aug. 14, 1951 

